The Grotto and not the one at the Playboy Mansion
Today was a day to explore Tobermory and its’ surrounding area. Once we all got moving, we walked over to the harbour to check out the area. With it being after the Labour Day weekend, it was still pretty busy with tourists taking the various boat tours. We did manage to check out a few of the shops before heading back to the cottage for some lunch time snacks.
Bruce Peninsula National Park is a 156 square kilometre park which is outside of Tobermory. There are many outdoor activities that you can do in the park including camping and hiking. With it being located on part of the Niagara Escarpment, there are majestic cliffs along the Georgian Bay shoreline. Also there is the Grotto which is a scenic cave that contains a pool of blue water.
Because parking spots are limited and fill up quickly, Parks Canada implemented a reservation system for the Grotto. Before we left on this trip, Karen had booked for us the 1:00pm to 5:00pm time slot ($33.70 CAD including taxes and fees). It was just under a 1/2 hour drive from the cottage to the park.
There are three trails that take you to the Grotto. We took the Georgian Bay Trail because it is easy and wide. The trail goes through forests where you might see bears and snakes which we do not see any of.
After about 30 minutes, you arrive at Indian Head Cove which is the rocky cove next to the Grotto. The views from the cliffs are stunning. There are many vista points that you can walk onto to get a look at Georgian Bay. Besides all of the tourists, there was even a couple getting their engagement photos done.
It was a short hike to the Grotto where we were once again awestruck by the scenery. How is it that I have never heard of the place before. We walked around the Grotto getting pictures from different vantage points. After spending about an hour, we thought it was best to head back to the car.
We left the Grotto and then went over to Singing Sands Beach which is on the shore of Lake Huron. It is called Singing Sands because of the sound that occurs when the wind whistles through the sand dunes. Unfortunately for us, we heard nothing.
We got back to the cottage and decided to get take out from Coconut Joe’s Harbour Bar and Grill. Because of all the fresh air and hiking, the rest of the evening was spent relaxing.